It’s been a great buy, I loved it the day I saw it in the showroom. You feel the power of the 500, no one comes near at least for now:)
I used to drive a bike ten years back and when I got my car I sold the bike, so this was a great come back for me. The styling, the thump, the halogen lamps 43 odd NM torque, you feel the difference on the road. This is definitely the king of the Road especially on the highways. Even the cars / bus treat you with respect on the highways. I found it difficult however to manoeuvre on the roads in the city. This is the first month, thus I haven’t gone beyond 60 km/hr but I am sure the vehicle will breeze at 80 km/ hr as well.
So let’s review this.
What I liked about it:
1.Classic styling(The thump is back) – Well you can’t go wrong on this. This truly a blend of the new and old. The old styling and EFI engine the classic seats with left gear levers. Analogue dashboard with disk breaks. In today’s world when a new bike is launched every month, you can be rest assured that your bike will be different for a long long time to come
2.The EFI engine( No carburettor thus, more efficient Power to fuel ratio)
- Looks to die for: You can be rest assured of looks on the Roads. Every time I Stop I am asked, what’s the price of this model?
4.Gear shift is smoother than other RE bikes.
5.Powerful head light especially for highways driving.
6.Wider wheel base, thus better grip on the road: 18 inches rear wheel are whole lot safer than other Enfield wheels
7.Self start(This is a great boon for guys/gurls like me who hated the whole kick start procedure)
What could have been better:
1.Rear Disk breaks – For a bike of this size it definitely needs a rear disk breaks.
2.Dash Board – A fuel gauge meter and a side stand indicator would have been welcome relief. It’s a standard feature in all bikes today.
3.Better horn – Feels meek for bike of this size( I got mine replaced)
4.Sixth gear – Royal Enfield may want to explore this option since highway driving demands another gear for a bikes with higher cc.
5.Seats – While I love the styling of seats, they are not very comfortable for long rides. The seats are soft and over time your back(actually bum) starts hurting. A firmer seat would have been preferable. The rear seat too is small for long rides. I am planning to replace mine with the regular Enfield seats.
Overall its great bike to ride.Go for it!